Crime & Safety

Gun Violence in Stamford Continues, Police Hope Community Opens Up

Capt. Richard Conklin hopes the community is more forthcoming with information before more people are hurt or killed.

 

in Stamford Wednesday night is related to previous acts of violence in the city, but not to the two most recent shootings in and around the area, according to Capt. Richard Conklin.

Conklin told Patch Thursday morning that the victim was shot at 28 Perry St., what he described as a highrise apartment complex known as the "Friendship House," while the man was standing outside. Conklin said a car of people allegedly pulled up and someone from inside opened fire. 

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Conklin said the victim was someone the department was "familiar with" and that he believes the incident is related to previous violence in the city, but not the recent murders of and — murders that police currently say appear to be connected to each other.

Jones was gunned down along with three others, each suffering non-fatal injuries save for Jones, while at a party on Custer Street where more than 150 people were roaming the street. Bel-Jean appears to have been shot in Stamford on Spruce Street, Conklin confirmed, but was later moved to Norwalk, near the hospital.

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"This is a distinct, separate incident from what we're dealing with at Custer Street," Conklin said. "This is a separate, on-going feud between different guys. It's been playing out for a number of months."

Instead, Conklin said this incident stems from violence that has been simmering since at least January, when after someone opened fire outside of a barbershop.

Related to that incident, Conklin said, is the May shooting that occurred on Selleck Street in which and a juvenile was briefly detained, but eventually released, without charge.

Conklin did say the other incidents in which Jones and Bel-Jean were gunned down seemed to be developing at its own pace. He noted Greg Keith McKeithen, who has been arrested by Stamford authorities twice in the last few weeks, most recently for being a convicted felon allegedly , was the boyfriend of Bel-Jean's sister.

In Wednesday night's incident on Perry Street, however, the details are still being pieced together. Conklin noted a common thread in all of the recent violence around the city has been the community's lack of willingness to cooperate with authorities. When asked what he thought he could say to quell some of the tension and encourage piece, Conklin sounded resigned. 

"We arrived [and it was] chaos, people scattered," he said. "Nothing I say here is going to have a determination on that. We're hoping there's no futher violence. We're hoping no innocent people get hurt in this—mistaken identity or bystanders or anything like that. But these families need to find a way to bring some common values to this situation."

Instead, Conklin wouldn't come outright and say they'd increased police activity in the area, but he said, "We've changed some situations to monitor these hotspots."

The Perry Street victim was in critical condition Thursday, Conklin said, and medical professionals were still trying to determine whether or not the bullet to remove the bullet.

Conklin said some people were coming in Thursday afternoon and he would see what information could be gathered, but, until people begin to talk to police more, they can only work so quickly.

Anyone with information on any of these incidents is urged to contact Stamford Police at 203.977.4444.


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